Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund
The Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund is a private foundation based in Beachwood, Ohio. It made 11 grants totaling $37,750 in 2024, including grants for educational programs, a high school retreat, room dedication, scholarships, and youth and camp programs.
Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund at a glance
In short: Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund gave $38K across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $3K), mostly in Ohio. 18% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $37,750
- -3.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,432
- -3.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $763,770
- -0.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (2 of 11, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (94% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2023 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists Barry A. Lefko as the contact, states that no form or materials are required, and indicates no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- None is listed.
- Deadline
- None is listed.
- Contact
Application contact: Barry A Lefko
Mailing address: 24195 Wendover Dr, Beachwood, OH 44122
Phone: (212) 663-3963
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Fuchs Mizrachi School ($10K). Together the top 10 received $38K.
Grant Size Distribution
45 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 45 grants of 45 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio, 5% to recipients in New York, and 1% to recipients in New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 11 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $625; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $625 first-time, $4K repeat.
- 73% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+3%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 95% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $35K (2020) to $39K (2023). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $38K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fuchs Mizrachi School University Heights, OH | High School Retreat | $10,000 |
| Gross Schechter Day School Pepper Pike, OH | Educational Program | $7,000 |
| Hebrew Academy of Cleveland Cleveland, OH | Room Dedication | $7,000 |
| Camp Stone Beachwood, OH | Scholarships | $6,000 |
| American Friends of Yeshivat Kol Tzofayiah Beachwood, OH | Educational Program | $4,000 |
| Green Road Synagogue Beachwood, OH | Youth Program and Camp Stone Scholarships | $1,500 |
| American Friends of United Hatzalah New York, NY | General Support | $750 |
| American Friends of Magen David Adom New York, NY | General Support | $500 |
| Zaka Telaviv Jackson Township, NJ | General Support. | $500 |
| Children's Bridge of Zichron Menachem New York, NY | Educational Program | $250 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $763,770 | $35,753 | $41,745 | $37,750 | 11 | $39,675 | $33,701 | $41,935 |
| 2023 | $769,762 | $23,173 | $44,064 | $39,250 | 11 | $41,200 | $21,420 | $38,814 |
| 2022 | $790,653 | $76,537 | $43,441 | $37,455 | 8 | $39,338 | $74,852 | $41,001 |
| 2021 | $771,897 | $71,936 | $40,166 | $36,765 | 8 | — | $70,335 | $42,237 |
| 2020 | $743,077 | $37,478 | $39,593 | $34,968 | 7 | — | $35,926 | $36,140 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund reported a distributable amount of $42K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the funder is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for schools and educational programs, camps and youth activities, scholarships, and organizations providing emergency or humanitarian services.
Among its grantees, an individual recipient Day School describes its mission as inspiring students to love learning, become their best selves, and embrace Jewish practice, values, and community. Hebrew Academy of Cleveland says it seeks to foster students’ love of God, Torah, and Eretz Yisroel and prepare them for excellence in Torah and general knowledge. American Friends of Magen David Adom says it supports Magen David Adom’s life-saving efforts in Israel; Children’s Bridge of Zichron Menachem Inc. describes its work as supporting children and families affected by childhood cancer; and American Friends of Meir Panim says it supports food and social-service programs for people in need.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the fund made 11 grants totaling $37,750. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $10,000, with a median of $1,500. The largest grants were $10,000 to Fuchs Mizrachi School for a high school retreat; $7,000 each to an individual recipient Day School for an educational program and Hebrew Academy of Cleveland for a room dedication; $6,000 to Camp Stone for scholarships; and $4,000 to American Friends of Yeshivat Kol Tzofayiah for an educational program.
Other 2024 grants included $1,500 to Green Road Synagogue for a youth program and Camp Stone scholarships; $750 to American Friends of United Hatzalah for general support; $500 each to American Friends of Magen David Adom and ZAKA Tel Aviv for general support; and $250 each to Children’s Bridge of Zichron Menachem and American Friends of Meir Panim. The grant to Children’s Bridge of Zichron Menachem was for an educational program; the grant to American Friends of Meir Panim was for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Barry A. Lefko, Steven Soclof, and Michael Wieder as trustees.
Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Barry A. Lefko
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Wieder
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven Soclof
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund
How much does Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund give each year?
Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund gave $38K across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $39K across 11 grants.
What is Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund's typical grant size?
Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund's median grant in 2024 was $1,500, and its average grant was $3,432, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund that year got $625 on average.
Where does Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund give grants?
Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund gives mostly in Ohio: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Beachwood, OH (3 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 36% of Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Educational Program" (3 grants).
Who are Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund's largest grantees?
Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Fuchs Mizrachi School ($10,000), Gross Schechter Day School ($7,000) and Hebrew Academy of Cleveland ($7,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund?
Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund reported $764K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $40K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $42K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund fund?
No mission statement for the funder is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for schools and educational programs, camps and youth activities, scholarships, and organizations providing emergency or humanitarian services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund?
The foundation’s 2023 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund's EIN?
Norman Spero Day School Endowment Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3598882. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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